page_title: VP-7
section_title: Operational history
hierarchical_section_title: VP-7 / Operational history
caption_attribution_description: A U.S. Navy Lockheed SP-2H Neptune (BuNo 135588) of Patrol Squadron 7 (VP-7) "Black Falcons" in flight. This aircraft was assigned to VP-7 at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida (USA), from February 1965 to December 1967.
context_page_description: VP-7 was a Patrol Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Bombing Squadron 119 on 15 August 1944, redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron 119 on 1 October 1944, redesignated Patrol Squadron 119 on 15 May 1946, redesignated Heavy Patrol Squadron 9 on 15 November 1946, redesignated Medium Patrol Squadron 7 on 25 June 1947, redesignated Patrol Squadron 7 on 1 September 1948 and disestablished on 8 October 1969. It was the second squadron to be designated VP-7, the first VP-7 was redesignated VP-11 on 1 July 1939.
context_section_description: 15 August – 14 December 1944: VB-119 was established at NAAS Camp Kearney, California. Crew training commenced immediately on the PB4Y-1 Liberator and the PB4Y-2 Privateer bombers.
  15 December 1944 – 14 January 1945: The squadron was transferred to NAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, for further combat readiness training. The first planes departed for NAS Kaneohe on 15 December and the last planes left on 25 December. Training of crews continued at NAS Kaneohe Bay, including combat patrols operating from Midway Island from 3 to 14 January 1945. At that time the squadron had 15 aircraft and 18 crews assigned.
  7 February 1945: VPB-119 was transferred to Tacloban Air Base, Leyte, Philippines. Training flights were conducted through the end of the month in the area of Mokerang Airfield, Los Negros, Admiralty Islands.
  1 March 1945: VPB-119 was transferred to Clark Air Base, Luzon, Philippines. On the following day the squadron conducted its first combat patrols over the South China Sea.
  22 March 1945: Lieutenant (jg) James Evans and crew, accompanied by war correspondent Don Bell, were shot down over Amoy Harbor on the China coast by enemy antiaircraft fire. Bell, only recently released from a POW camp in Manila, was anxious to get back into the war effort. Seven personnel survived the crash of the PB4Y-2 Privateer. Chinese fishermen rescued Bell and the six surviving crewmembers, and in a race with three Japanese motor boats made it to shore where they were hidden in a village. A few days later, a shore party from a Navy installation only 27 miles (43 km) away rescued the survivors.
  1 April – 14 August 1945: Lieutenant Commander Bales, the commanding officer of VPB-119, and his crew were shot down over China on 1 April with no survivors. Lieutenant Commander Ragan, executive officer, assumed command of the squadron. Patrols continued through 14 August 1945 when word of the Surrender of Japan was received. During the squadron's six months of combat operations from Clark Air Base it claimed the destruction of 13 aircraft in the air, the sinking or damaging of a large number of ships and the destruction of many shore installations.
  15 August – 3 September 1945: Routine shipping reconnaissance patrols were conducted in conjunction with VPB-104. The squadron was also responsible for supplying weather information and typhoon tracking.
  25 October – 2 November 1945: VPB-119 was relocated to Puerto Princesa, Philippines, with all assets and personnel aboard by 2 November. Operations were commenced immediately in concert with VPB-106. The primary duty of the two squadrons included weather reconnaissance and shipping surveillance flights over the Indochina area. Weather during this period was extremely adverse.
  15 November – December 1945: A three-plane detachment was flown to NAB Samar to fly weather reconnaissance. In December, the remainder of the squadron joined the detachment. The principal mission of the squadron while stationed at Samar was weather reconnaissance, shipping lane patrols and air-sea search.
  8 February 1946: The squadron received orders to reduce the size of the aircraft complement from 12 to 8. Rapid demobilization drastically decreased the officer and enlisted ranks. During this period VPB-119 was again tasked with weather reconnaissance and typhoon tracking, as well as air-sea search and patrol.
  3 June 1946: VP-119 was relocated to NAS Sangley Point, Philippines, with principal duties of shipping lane patrol and special flights as directed by FAW-10. The transfer was completed on 25 June 1946.
  26 August 1946: VP-119 began monthly shuttle flights from NAS Sangley Point to China, Okinawa and return. The flights were utilized as occasions for training in long distance navigation, radio range procedures and cruise control settings.
  10 January 1947: At the request of the Philippine government, two aircraft of VP-119 made several flights over Mayon Volcano during an eruption to provide information on the direction of lava flow and the resulting damage to inhabited areas.
  20 May – 6 June 1947: The squadron was notified of pending
caption: A VP-7 SP-2H, c.1966
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